7 takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots mandatory minicamp

FOXBOROUGH, Mass — The New England Patriots took the field on Tuesday afternoon for their first of three mandatory minicamp sessions. The sun was shining, and attendance was very, very good as the Patriots got in some final days of practice before taking a long break.
and CB Christian Gonzalez in attendance

After not participating in the voluntary OTAs, Kayshon Boutte and Christian Gonzalez showed up for mandatory minicamp and participated at varying levels. Some thought Gonzalez might do either a hold-out or a hold-in as he waits for a new long-term contract. However, he showed up and participated in all individual drills and the walkthrough.

As for the team session, while he wasn’t on the field, Gonzalez remained engaged, talking with the other players and watching each rep. As for the other cornerback, Carlton Davis returned after also missing OTAs and participated in the team portion. During that time, it was mostly Kindle Vildor and Kobee Minor who played opposite him.

Then there was Boutte, who is also in the final year of his deal and has been the subject of numerous trade rumors, especially considering the acquisition of A.J. Brown. He wasn’t present for OTAs, but took part in every part of minicamp, including the individual drills, team drills, and the walkthrough. However, it was of note that Boutte spent time with both the first and second units, finishing the day with one catch, which came from Tommy DeVito.
not in attendance

Morgan Moses was one of the few absences at mandatory minicamp, which was especially notable considering he left the last open OTAs practice early. In his absence, it was Caleb Lomu and Marcus Bryant who switched off, filling in at right tackle. However, Lomu also spent some time on the left side with the second unit.

As for the rest of the offensive line, Mike Onwenu remained at right guard, while Jared Wilson was at center, and Will Campbell at left tackle. Ben Brown was the starting left guard with Alijah Vera-Tucker in attendance, but continuing to sit out of the team drills.

Some competition for Bryce Baringer. A new face was spotted on the practice field during the first day of minicamp, and it was punter Devin Bale (Arkansas), who was spotted wearing No. 6. The team did an extensive special teams period, which featured a lot of punts and punt return practice, which showed that Bale has an impressive leg.

Along with Moses, the Patriots were also missing linebacker Harold Landry and edge defender Gabe Jacas. Landry dealt with a knee injury last season that certainly impacted his production, and before practice, head coach Mike Vrabel said that he is “heavily involved in the meetings and the workouts and in a leadership role,” but added that he feels it’s “unnecessary” for him to take reps in the spring.

As for Jacas, the Patriots’ 2026 second-round pick has not taken part in any of the practices yet, and Vrabel wouldn’t divulge much on that, repeating that he “had a procedure, and he is not under contract.” Jacas remains the only rookie that New England hasn’t signed to their rookie deal.

Rookie quarterback Behren Morton didn’t take any reps on Tuesday, so it was Drake Maye leading the way with some reps for backup quarterback Tommy DeVito.

Drake Maye: 19-of-22Tommy DeVito: 11-of-13

One of Maye’s top plays of the day was an impressive no-look pass to Rhamondre Stevenson in the flat. Maye also had a nice throw to A.J. Brown, who jumped up and caught it over the head of Kindle Vildor.
was Drake Maye’s top receiver

As has been a trend throughout OTAs, the connection between Maye and DeMario Douglas is continuing to shine, with the wide receiver once again finishing the day with the most catches. Douglas recorded five, while Hunter Henry had four, A.J. Brown and Rhamondre Stevenson had three, and Romeo Doubs recorded two.

With the second unit, Efton Chism was clearly Tommy DeVito’s favorite target.

The Patriots’ wide receiver room is certainly crowded, which means certain players are going to need to find other ways to earn themselves a roster spot outside of simply serving as a pass catcher. And Boutte said it best.

“At the end of the day, still got to come to training camp and fight,” he told reporters after practice. “No spot is given, no matter who it is. So, I mean, at the end of the day, still got to come out and perform.”

And among those who helped their case was UDFA wide receiver Cameron Dorner, who was spotted repping at gunner alongside special teams ace and captain Brenden Schooler.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 7 takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots mandatory minicamp